China's Mars orbiter captures images of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS

The orbiter of China's Mars mission Tianwen-1 has successfully captured the images of an interstellar object, coded 3I/ATLAS, using its high-resolution camera, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

Discovered on July 1, 2025, by a survey telescope in Chile, 3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar object to visit the solar system and marks the first interstellar object captured by a Chinese spacecraft.

During the observation, the spacecraft was about 30 million kilometers from 3I/ATLAS, making it one of the closest observations by a probe of this interstellar object.

Scientists believe this object likely formed around ancient stars near the center of the Milky Way, with an estimated age of between 3 and 11 billion years -- possibly older than the solar system. This makes 3I/ATLAS a rare sample in studying the composition and evolution of exoplanets, and the early history of stars, holding significant scientific value.

Tianwen-1, China's first Mars mission, carries optical payloads originally designed to image the bright Martian surface. Capturing such a distant and faint object -- between 10,000 and 100,000 times dimmer than typical Martian targets -- represents the first attempt of its kind for the mission.

"Because 3I/ATLAS follows a hyperbolic orbit, unlike the elliptical orbits of objects around the Sun, it clearly originates from beyond the solar system and will eventually move away from it," said Liu Jianjun, chief designer of the ground application system for China's first Mars exploration mission.

Data received and processed by the ground application system showed clear cometary features in the images. Researchers created an animation from a series of images taken over 30 seconds, demonstrating the object's movement through space. These observations are now being used for further scientific study of 3I/ATLAS.

"From Oct 1 to 4, Tianwen-1 captured images each day and sent the data back to the ground. Using these consecutive images, we were able to create an animation that effectively shows its (3I/ATLAS) flight path," he said.

This successful observation represents an important extended mission for Tianwen-1. The detection of such a faint celestial object serves as a valuable technical test for China's Tianwen-2 mission, which was launched in May -- aiming to collect samples from a near-Earth asteroid and explore a main-belt comet, according to the CNSA.

"The successful observation proves the long-term reliability of our orbiter. Tianwen-2 probe will also explore small, faint celestial objects, and we hope to build on this experience to test technology and accumulate expertise for future deep-space missions," Liu added.

The Tianwen-1 team began preparing for the observation in early September. After repeated simulations and feasibility assessments, they determined to use the high-resolution camera on the orbiter and designed optimal imaging strategies, ultimately achieving successful observation.

China's Tianwen-1 mission, consisting of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, was launched in July 2020. The probe entered Mars' orbit in February 2021 and has been operating stably for roughly four years and eight months.

China's Mars orbiter captures images of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS

China's Mars orbiter captures images of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS

China's Mars orbiter captures images of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS

China's Mars orbiter captures interstellar object 3I/ATLAS

Nicaragua's co-foreign minister Valdrack Jaentschke has warned that militarism must never be allowed to rise again, as Japan's recent moves to lift its arms export ban and revise the pacifist Constitution continue to draw international concern.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, where Japan's Class-A war criminals from World War II were brought to justice.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Valdrack Jaentschke voiced his concern that today's world order is being undermined by interventionism and other challenges.

"It is necessary for us to remember that after the end of World War II, countries worked hard to build a new international order based on international law. However, regrettably, more than 80 years later, we are seeing that this once explored and attempted order is being challenged by interventionism, a confrontational mindset, and tendencies like 'might makes right.' These are precisely the conditions that gave rise to fascism and militarism in the past, which ultimately led to the tragedy of World War II," he said.

He said the international community has a responsibility to pursue a new international order -- one fundamentally grounded in peace.

"Looking back at the history more than eight decades ago and comparing it with today's reality, it is our responsibility to recognize that the world should, and must, build a new international order that is more just, fairer, rooted in international law, based on a logic of mutual benefit and shared success, and fundamentally grounded in peace," said the minister.

"Today, as we revisit the Tokyo Trials, it is meant to remind the world that such a tragedy must never be repeated -- and that we must do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again. We must stop that dark world -- born from militarism, interventionism, and fascism -- from ever returning," he said.

Nicaraguan FM warns of militarism revival